Simultaneous, competing co-productions of the same movie?
Looking into how Marvel and DC have been trying to set up 'Shared Universes' longer than most people realise, I found out that an earlier attempt at a Batman vs. Superman film was mooted because the actor being considered (Christian Bale) had already been approached to play the role of Superman by another director (Darren Aronofsky), in another version of Batman.
The original production (to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen) was greenlit by the studio, but couldn't attract Bale, who was attached to another (ultimately unrealised) Aronofsky's Year One adaptation... but how can this make sense?
Warner Bros own the rights to the Batman character, so there is no way to make a film without entering into negotiations with them. If Petersen's film was greenlit, then he must have obtained permission from DC. If Bale wouldn't walk away from Aronofsky's version, it must also have had a shot of being made, or even green-lit: if DC didn't want the movie made, all they would need to do is withhold the rights.
It stands to reason that DC was in negotiation with both directors simultaneously, but if they greenlit Petersen's film it would no longer be in their interests to support, or even entertain, Aronofsky's. Development should have been cancelled immediately, freeing Bale up to move onto Petersen's, should he wish to.
Why would DC entertain two competing productions?
Best Answer
"In development" doesn't mean much WRT a movie, so it was perfectly normal for Warners to be involved in multiple projects at once. Especially when there are multiple "bosses" involved:
And then, all of a sudden, Warner Bros. seemed to change its mind about Batman vs. Superman. Studio President Alan Horn was apparently convinced it was better to relaunch both heroes separately, with J.J. Abrams’ Superman script and some version of Aronofsky’s Batman origin story. Horn distributed copies of the Batman vs. Superman script and Abrams’ Superman: Flyby script to 10 Warner Bros. execs, and they all preferred the Superman script.
Warner Bros. VP Lorenzo di Bonaventura was still a staunch supporter of Batman vs. Superman, and argued that they could do the team-up movie first and then release Superman: Flyby. But J.J. Abrams, in one meeting, reportedly told di Bonaventura that “You can’t do that,” because it would be akin to releasing When Harry Divorced Sally followed by When Harry Met Sally.
In the end, according to Hughes’ book, the fate of Batman vs. Superman apparently came down to Alan Horn versus Lorenzo di Bonaventura — and after BvS was killed, di Bonaventura left the studio a few days later.
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What are co productions in film?
A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companies from different countries (typically two to three) are working together.What does presenting a movie mean?
Presenting a film: Lending their "brand name" to give a particular film their "stamp of approval". Sometimes, they might have a say in the editing or some aspect of the project. Other times, they're simply saying, "You should watch this."Why is it called day and date?
A simultaneous release, also known as "day-and-date" release, is the release of a film on multiple platforms\u2014most commonly theatrical and home video\u2014on the exact same day, or in very close proximity to each other.What is the theatrical window?
The \u201ctheatrical window,\u201d when a movie plays only in theaters, typically has a minimum length set by deals between movie studios and movie theaters. You might remember a time when the theatrical window was long and you had to wait close to a year before a movie would come out on video or DVD.Why do competitors open their stores next to one another? - Jac de Haan
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Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Terje Sollie, Pixabay